Report: Barcelona keen to re-sign former La Masia midfielder
After a string of successful performances for Spain at EURO 2020, RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo has attracted the attention of many clubs across Europe including the club where he began his professional football career.
According to reports, Barcelona are interested in signing Dani Olmo back to Barcelona after the midfielder left the La Masia academy 7 years ago to join Croatian side GNK Dinamo Zagreb.
Spanish outlet El Gol Digital suggest Barcelona are very interested in re-signing Olmo especially after his performances for Spain at EURO 2020. The Catalan giants are said to be preparing an offer that could see up to 3 players being involved in a part-exchange.
Barcelona are in the middle of what can only be described as a financial crisis, being unable to contractually assign their new signings such as Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia, and Sergio Aguero. They are also not in a position to give talisman Lionel Messi a new contract, so the Argentine technically remains a free agent.
Barcelona have to decrease their wage bill and could do so by offloading one or two players in a deal for Olmo. Players such as Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite, Miralem Pjanic, and Samuel Umtiti are on the unwanted list for head coach Ronald Koeman and they could be on the agenda as exchangeable players for Leipzig.
Olmo made the brave decision to leave Barcelona's famous La Masia in 2014, aged 16, to move to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. Years after the move, Miquel Olmo, Dani's father, described the backlash he received for letting his son leave such a prestigious Academy set-up.
He told The Guardian: "They told me I was crazy. They massacred me for it, saying I was ruining my son's career.
"Leaving Barcelona was not easy, especially if you were the captain, and he was also playing for the national team. It was the most difficult decision in his life."
Seven years on from that brave decision Olmo may get his chance to play for his boyhood club, but it can only happen if Barcelona are able to reduce their wage bill and pay off their debts.